1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to athletic equipment used in games involving a goal. More particularly, the present invention concerns goal padding that reduces the risk of player injury caused by impact with the goal while maintaining the desired trajectory and speed for balls rebounding off the goal.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Soccer goals are known to be a source of injury to participants (e.g., players and officials) of a soccer game. The goal is typically made of metal (e.g., steel or aluminum) and presents a playing surface that is oriented toward the participants during a game, and impact with the playing surface can cause injury.
Conventional attempts to address this problem are unsatisfactory. In particular, goal padding has been developed to provide impact cushioning along the playing surface of the goal so as to minimize the risk of injury. However, traditional goal padding tends to be bulky and unsightly. Moreover, the manner in which prior art goal padding is secured to a goal post tends to complicate the construction of the padding. For example, conventional goal padding typically utilizes a plurality of securing straps (e.g., hook and loop fastening strips) extending across a longitudinal rear slot in the padding to permit user adjustable tightening of the padding onto the post. The securing straps are traditionally fixed to a flexible case in which a foam material is contained. Yet further, conventional goal padding adversely affects the trajectory and speed of a ball rebounding off a padded post (relative to the desired ball rebound). Although reducing the risk of injury to game participants is imperative, the playing surface of the goal is considered in “play” and any influence on the desired rebound of the ball (the customary and anticipated trajectory and speed of the ball after it has bounced off of the playing surface) is highly undesirable. A ball rebounding off of a goal padded with conventional padding typically has a dramatically different trajectory and speed than that with which game participants are accustom. For example, a ball rebounding off of a conventionally padded goal post may rebound much slower and in a substantially different direction than the soccer game participants are expecting.